FC Barcelona Bàsquet, the basketball team of Spanish soccer giants Barcelona, is set to remain part of the regional EuroLeague club competition until 2036 after reportedly agreeing to sign a new 10-year license with organizers Euroleague Basketball.
Sources told news outlets Eurohoops and AS that the Catalan club confirmed to shareholders its decision to recommit to the Euroleague yesterday, ruling out a move to NBA Europe, the rival league being set up by North America’s NBA and the sport’s FIBA governing body.
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Barcelona, one of Europe’s most successful teams, is one of four clubs yet to renew their contract with the EuroLeague, alongside Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and ASVEL Villeurbanne, which all have until January 15 to decide whether to confirm or withdraw their participation in the competition.
Should Barcelona secure a new deal with Euroleague Basketball, it will send a strong statement to the other teams, as well as to the NBA and FIBA.
Barcelona, along with other established EuroLeague clubs, have been courted by the NBA and its advisors, JPMorgan and Raine Group, to join their project, with plans to establish a 16-team league with 12 permanent franchises made up of existing European teams and prominent investment funds linked to the project.
Their target countries for those teams include the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Italy.
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By GlobalDataIn response, Euroleague Basketball has reportedly informed the NBA of its plans to take legal action if the US league has engaged in discussions with clubs already committed to the EuroLeague about joining the project
Sources told Eurohoops that Euroleague Basketball had sent a letter to the NBA last week and informed all clubs currently holding an A license of its stance.
The Barcelona development and legal threat come as the NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver, visits London (UK) and Berlin (Germany) this week for the league’s regular overseas games, with the league hoping to use the trip to secure sponsors for the new project.
London’s O2 Arena is due to host a regular-season NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic this weekend (January 18), while Manchester’s Co-op Arena has been earmarked to stage an NBA game next year.
Last month, FIBA and NBA outlined their plans for the NBA Europe project, with secretary general Andreas Zagklis revealing October 2027 as a potential launch date and announcing that the pair will move forward with the search for teams and ownership groups from this month.
The NBA and FIBA first announced plans for a new 16-team European league in March, with the new league crafted to fit around the existing European basketball calendar, ensuring sides can compete in both domestic and international competition, and that players can represent both their club and national teams freely.
Euroleague Basketball has railed against the NBA Europe project from the outset, stating that it stands “as a threat to the long-standing traditions of European basketball” and that it may “risk fragmentation and confusion within the sport.”
Nonetheless, with qualification entry to NBA Europe now on the cards through BCL and domestic league participation, more teams may defect from the EuroLeague to FIBA competition as the increased financial incentives that will come with the NBA brand may be too much for teams to pass up.
Already in 2025, Alba Berlin, a former EuroLeague stalwart, defected to enter FIBA’s BCL instead.
The clubs most affected will be the EuroLeague’s 12 permanent member clubs, all of which are shareholders in the competition, meaning their financial security is tied to the EuroLeague’s success in a way that non-permanent members are not.
